April 2010

April 24, 2010

Audrey is still very into the reno. Last night during our before bed cuddle, she came out with this:

“You know, mummy, there are different kinds of floors. There’s wood and there’s carpet. You know what’s even better, though? Tile. Tile is really easy to clean. that’s what daddy told me.”

This is my THREE year old! Honestly, I think the renovation needs to end so Audrey can start talking about three year old little girl things again. It makes me want to buy her Barbies and put “Beauty and the Beast” on a loop on the tv. I’ve known for a while that she hears everything we say, but this is ridiculous! Not long ago she asked if, in a few years, we could make her bedroom “longer and bigger...and maybe I could have a bathroom in there”. At least she doesn’t know the term “ensuite”.

She is also pretty impressed with her swimming teacher. Last night in the bath she was saying, “Lily, I need you to listen to me for a minute. Look at me, okay. I’m going to put my arm under your back and I want you to put your head back and float. Float Lily!” (Lily loves this and quite willingly tries to float.) “Lily! Lily, look into my eyes, okay, now I need you to listen to me for a minute.I know you like being in the pool, i mean the bath, but you have to go home to your family, so it’s time to get out and towel off.” At this point Lily dives into the water again, so Audrey repeats, “Lily, Lily. I need you to listen to me. Lily, look at me, okay. I know you’re having fun in the pool, but it’s time to get out now and get dry!” And on and on. This repeated about a dozen times, no joke. I need to study that swimming teacher. She is on to something.

Audrey is also writing a lot of letters lately. Well, she dictates aloud while scribbling wavy lines on a page. “Dear Teachers, I’m so sorry that I left my one leg baby at school today. I’m very sorry but it’s okay because I will pick her up on Friday. Thank you, Teachers. I love you and I miss you. Love, Audrey.” (I am then entrusted with said note, to send to her school ASAP.)

Audrey has decided that her middle name is transferable. She is Audrey Quinn, Lily is Lily Quinn, I am Mommy Quinn and Q is Daddy Quinn.

April 19, 2010

Aren't we all? Yes, it's been busy-- we're in the thick of it now. No floors, no kitchen, and lots more than I can even mention right now. I will put up photos soon, promise! Audrey is very into the reno, by the way. Yesterday we went to a restaurant for lunch, and when I took her to the potty she says: "Oh, Mummy, I like the style of that sink!" I've created a design monster!

A few things to catch you up on:

I went to Scrapfest this weekend in Kitchener with Scrapbook and Cards Today. It was so nice to finally meet Kimber McGray in person, and to hang out with Catherine and Sarah. I even met one of my blog readers-- Hi Trish!!! ;)

I'm teaching two classes at Scrapbooks by Design this Saturday. My sketch class is a repeat from January, if you missed it, and then a brand new class of tips and tricks to help you scrap faster called, Just Stick it Down! I'd love to see some of my blog readers there!

I'm starting Ali's Week in the Life project today. I keep this project super simple for myself. You can see my project from 2008 here and here.

I'm working on lots of layouts right now-- sending some to CM tomorrow, then finishing up my layouts for the summer issue of SCT. When it rains, it pours!

April 11, 2010

They demo'd The Shack yesterday-- the little uninsulated back of the house that was our access to the basement. It was also the balcony (that we never used) off of Lily's room. Although it looks pretty rough now, it will soon be replaced by a window and door on the lower level, and a tall window in Lily's room. We're also reclaiming almost 8 ft of backyard. Yay!

April 07, 2010

I had a super quick photo shoot with Heather yesterday, trying to get some photos for the summer issue of Scrapbook and Cards Today. I think the whole session lasted about 40 minutes, and that's including two costume changes-- which I did IN MY CAR on Dundas street! lol! (I kept trying to cover myself with one dress while changing into another. Luckily, there was no foot traffic, just cars. I highly doubt they noticed the half naked girl in the Prius.)

All the photos were taken in a park across from Heather's house, with her son, Amory, in the stroller. I think Heather did an awesome job. These photos look so bright and summery despite that fact that:

It was 13 degrees, overcast, and starting to rain

The wind was whipping my hair around (hence the various hairstyle changes)

We only had 60 frames, as Heather happened to have a small-ish memory card in her camera. (In fact, for the purple dress, we only had 12 shots.)

Random people kept walking through the park, messing up the composition

I have to say, I don't look half bad! lol!

To see more photos from this shoot, click on over to the h2ophotography blog. Heather is also offering a special right now-- if you become a fan on Facebook, you get a $25 print credit! If you're in the Toronto area, I highly recommend booking a family/maternity/baby/cute summer dress photo shoot today!

P.S. Keeping with today's "super quick" theme, I have a post up on the Scrapbook and Card Today blog you might want to see. It's a great way to use up leftover letter stickers!

April 05, 2010

On Saturday I went over to my grandmother's house to learn to make one of my favourite recipes, Potato Puffs. This delicious fried food is one of my very favourite Grandma recipes-- right up there with cabbage rolls and chicken soup. Potato Puffs start with a choux pastry (like making cream puffs) then mixed with fluffy mashed potatoes and dropped tablespoon by tablespoon into hot oil. They. are. so. good.

While there, I asked Grandma if I could borrow some of her old photos to scan. When I was a kid, Grandma kept her photos in thick black photo albums, glued to the black cardstock pages. To my surprise, she had dismantled those albums and put together four albums by theme. One in particular, was very special to me. It was an album about my Grandpa, who died in 2002. My sisters and I were close with my Grandpa, and we all miss him very much. To see the album Grandma put together brought back wonderful memories, and introduced me to images of him as a young man that I never saw (or at least didn't remember.) Looking through the pages where Grandma had jotted down years, places and details in the margin, I smiled.

"Grandma, you're a scrapbooker!"

"I am?"

"Yes! Words and photos together in an album. Writing down details for us to remember about Grandpa-- that's scrapbooking!"

She thought this was very funny, but I meant it.

See what you think:

And finally, one of Grandpa and I together when I was a baby. (It looks so much like Lily, it's almost as though they met...)

April 01, 2010

Today I am 35 years and 11 months old. As a kid, 35 seems very old. Although I am very satisfied with my life, I'm not exactly where I thought I would be as a kid.

When I was nine, I was convinced I was going to be a famous movie star. I wrote in my diary with a mind that it would (obviously) be read by millions one day...even going so far as to define the word "Blackout" as "power outage" for future generations who might be living on some other power source. I was thinking ahead.

When I was about 15, I figured that I would have three children when I was 25, 27 and 29, respectively, thereby being done with procreating in my 20's. (In reality, I had two kids at 32 and 34, and I was still the first of my high school girlfriends to have a baby.)

In high school, I distinctly remember counting out how old I would be for New Years Eve 1999, and deciding that 25 was still young enough to party. (Not that I party. I was never a partier. I spent that night at a house party, and not a very entertaining one at that. I think most people found that New Year's a little anti-climactic.)

I remember in my 20's many of my colleagues were horrified that I was born in the 1970s. I was the baby of the cast then. In my last show, I had a (rather flirtatious) colleague born in 1990. Nineteen-ninety! Sheesh.

Still, even though I am not exactly where I imagined I'd be, I am thrilled to be in my little pocket of the world with my hubby, my kiddos, my dog, and my washer and dryer in my dining room. I'm also happy that I live near family and friends. I can't imagine living far from home.

I remember something like this going around the blog world a while ago:

last year I was still breastfeeding, and wondering if I'd ever start working again.

5 yearsago I was living in Toronto, probably starting rehearsals for "Anne of Green Gables" at Stage West.

10 yearsago I was rehearsing the "Mamma Mia" musical at an old church-turned-rehearsal space in the west end, wondering if the show would be a success.

15 yearsago I was finishing up my second year of university at Queen's, likely bleary-eyed studying for exams and doped up on too much orange pekoe tea.

20 years ago I was in Grade 10 in the drama program at an Arts high school, realizing with each passing day how much I wanted to be a performer.

And today:

I took Lily in the pool for her first swimming lesson, while Audrey took her first "big girl" swimming lesson, and Quillan sat on the bleachers.

I wished that we had Nutella in the house, but then was glad we didn't because I knew I'd eat the whole thing one spoonful at a time.

I groaned every time I went up to the third floor, my muscles sore from pilates yesterday.

I received two packages from scrapbook manufacturers and felt giddy that I get paid to scrapbook.

I made chicken and baked french fries for dinner, with sliced cucumber on the side. I mouthed a silent "thank you" heavenward that they both ate it all without complaint.

I took a shower with the two girls for the first time. Lily sat in the bottom and splashed in the water, while Audrey wanted to hold the nozzle.

I read "Olive, the Other Reindeer" before bed, because Christmas books are just as good in April as they are in December.

I stopped on my way out of their bedroom to hear Audrey tell me she loves me.

I collapsed on the couch with a glass of wine, a handful of chocolate chips, and my laptop.

When I sign off here I will go wash my face and put on Oil of Olay to stop the 7 Signs of Aging. I may even get crazy and pluck my eyebrows.